chuck-de-phatte

New Year and all that!

2008-12-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

New Year another January, January was named after Janus. One face looking backwards in retrospection and the other forwards in anticipation. 2008 has been a very eventful and exciting year. On the personal front there was culmination of and exciting year at ISB; a life changing event in every sense of the word; excitement about a career in FMCG and a steep learning curve that followed. The World too went through huge changes the Global meltdown was of course the one that dominated the news channels and has impacted many lives, George Bush got booted out of Iraq and the World agreed with the treatment, George saw the man's sole but he would have done better had he seen the soul of the man in the mirror- not a very pleasant site- Mr. President. Barrack Obama became the president of USA- amazing; what a guy. I hope Obama is all that he promises to be. Ten guys held the country to ransom by attacking Mumbai but the NSG commandos and the policemen did us proud. Kashmir elections went off well- hope for the future. So an eventful year 2008 was.

The year ahead- challenging and exciting enough to stop me from sleeping at this hour. Never thought chasing sales targets can be so much of fun. So a very HAPPY 2009.

Mumbai- A turn for the worse

2008-12-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

It is a week since the terrorists struck Mumbai. It was telecast live across the world and those ten men struck fear in the hearts of the everybody who witnessed the senseless violence. What was obvious was the extraordinary preparation of the terrorists and the extraordinary levels of unpreparedness of the Mumbai police. The police leadership was completely out of sync with the situation and the entire top brass was wiped out in the first hour of the attack. Why was senior police leadership in the line of fire is something nobody seems to have asked. Was it perhaps because they did not believe in their men, their systems and their preparedness? Or they had no way of judging the seriousness of the situation. Anyways India did lose a few good men. Men who would have perhaps done more for the country by staying alive.
Our archaic systems have failed them and perhaps the irony is that these men were so much the part of the system. I only a few months back was a regular commuter on Mumbai's local trains with CST an everyday destination and origin. Everyday I travelled in Mumbai's local trains I felt completely exposed as the quality of security measures at CST were shockingly mediocre. For the economic capital of India it is shocking that we are again and again subjected to security lapses. The politicians are too busy raking up issues that are irrelevant to the people of Mumbai but the Marathi Manus gets seduced by the jingoistic blabber of selfish politicians. It is time that we demand more from our politicians more that changing names of cities, more that some AK-47 fodder (the police officers) and more than Marathi taxi drivers.
We need a cleaner, greener and secure Mumbai. Mr. Politician and Mr. Bureaucrat can you please just do that and we shall continue to vote for you, we after all vote you in year after year for scratching and kissing your collective behinds for most of the five years you are in power and scratching your heads when some nuts decide to go on a killing spree.
In the meanwhile the wait continues for "CHANGE"- true change please!

Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan

2008-09-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Landing at the Mumbai airport and you get a draft of humid breeze and all the smells of Mumbai, you wonder whether it is the sea or the millions of human beings trying hard to survive and a few others who have a time of their lives. I know now why foreigners are so fascinated with Mumbai's poverty and my feeling is that it is so juxtaposed to extreme wealth that one wonders how can there be so much poverty where there is so much of wealth. The grime and dirt is all pervading and a turn into Dharavi while travelling to South Mumbai from the airport makes one wonder the reasons as to why people choose to live in such misery. The famed Mumbaiya spirit of adjusting and smiling in adversity is not what I see. I see a crowd of people living the way they do because they have no choice and the scam of the famous Mumbaikar attitude is pulling wool over the eyes of multitude of humanity that lives in sub-human conditions. Every other day a building collapses in Mumbai killing a few, that shakes up a few people to shout hoarse about the need to bring in building reforms, every other day a person falls of the local train and all that it attracts a tut-tut from the multitude of people who carry on their journey and their fateful ends on this fast local called the life in Mumbai. The problem perhaps is that the Mumbaikar is adjusting and takes in his stride all the stories that are spun around his spirit, THEY ARE FOOLING YOU MAMU. Please do not adjust, please demand basic civic amenities, please demand a right to safe drinking water, please demand better land usage, please demand protection to heritage buildings in Mumbai, please demand better quality of life. Please get mad, really mad and stop adjusting, and believe me the Vada Pav will be as good in a cleaner Mumbai as it is in today's Mumbai perhaps even tastier.

ISB "These are some of my favourite things"

2008-07-15T03:03:00.000-07:00

The past 2 months since I joined HUL have been a lot of fun. I have clocked some serious air-miles over this period. I have been to Gurgaon, Mumbai, Varanasi, Balia, Jaunpur, Renukoot and Bangkok. Each of these places was an adventure. The fun of being in a FMCG marketing firm and especially HUL is that one sees all those Kotler fundas unfold real time. But that is a different subject the aim today is to write about what all I fondly remember about ISB. Come to think of it this is more to bring closure to the experience called ISB. The things that I remember from ISB are a mixture emotions and sensory experience that ISB is. So here goes, the LRC at 8 A.M with the spiral staircase bathed in the sunlight filtering through the glass dome on the top, the satisfaction after entering the last line on an assignment, watching rain drops fall in the ground outside my studio while I sipped a cup of piping hot tea, the open drapes in the class room while Prof. Rajeshwar Upadyay went over Lessons from world literature, a great sense of achievement just walking up to the Academic Centre from my quad, a sense of a welcoming home while heading from the Academic Centre to SV2 and the late night (I mean really late night) walks with Rano, the lunch group (Srav, Karthik, Jaggu dada and Sneha), the offer from HUL, the graduation day, the squash court and the twinkle in my parents' eyes when I graduated. ISB was a blast- a source of lifetime memories.
The year at ISB will keep coming back to me every time a cue gets thrown at me like the raindrops knocking at my office window right now!

ISB MAKES A SPLASH IN FT GLOBAL RANKINGS

2008-01-28T01:20:00.000-08:00

28/01/2008 is one date that everybody from the batch of 2008 will remember. They would remeber what they were doing when they got to hear the news first. The news was the huge splash made by ISB in Global Rankings. ISB came in at 20th in the global rankings in one of the most respected rankings- The Financial Times rankings. It is no mean achievement. To be part of ISB at such a time and see history unfold is something that I will cherish forever.

There was a celebratory lunch at the Atrium and the entire batch broke into an impromtu chant- "ISB ROCKS" "ISB ROCKS" "ISB ROCKS" and rock its does. I have a feeling that celebrations would continue for some time to come.

It is also time to think about the power of a dream accompanied by a zeal to achieve it. The sense of achievement the pioneers of ISB must be feeling must be awesome. The collective conciousness of the ISB must be rejoicing. The support staff, the faculty, the Governing Board, the student body, the spouses, the alumni and the recruiters have all contributed to create a way of life that ISB represents.

So thank you all those who preceded me at ISB and welcome all those who would join the ISB dream in years to come.

Congratulations!!!

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASS- AIKYA

2008-01-14T00:33:00.000-08:00

Has been a long time since I wrote a post. So here goes- yesterday was an eye opening experience. We were invited by our Aikya family for dinner. Aikya family is the family away from home. These families are the elite families from Hyderabad's social circles. This gives ISB students an opportunity to interact with the finest families of the Hyderabadi society. The one lesson my Aikya family patriarch gave me was- "Never, Never associate yourself with a looser". The negative energy of the looser is strong enough to bring you down. Reminds me of the STAR WARS funda- "May the force be with you". The force here is the positive thought that you generate and the positive thought that those around you generate.

The other aspect was how small the world is. Six degrees of freedom hit home yesterday. One of the business partners of my Aikya patriarch is arelative of mine. This is an amazing coincidence. So I am a huge convert to networking. You never know which happy coinincidence you would stumble on around the corner.

Dean Deepak Jain at ISB

2007-07-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Dean Jain's visit to ISB was quite an event. Khemka Hall- the auditorium was choc-a-block full, a week before the end term exams this was quite an event. The entire student body was looking forward to the event and Dean Jain did not disappoint the audience. The first thing that strikes you when you meet Dean Jain is the complete absence of any accent. For somebody who has stayed in the United States for such along while this is quite an interesting feature.

Dean Jain narrated a story (it happened during the Tsunami that hit Thailand) of an elephant in Thailand that broke the rope it was tied with and ran away just before the tsunami hit. The rationale for the Elephant's behaviour was that because animals are acutely aware of their surroundings and can pick up shock waves through their legs, they can feel seismic activity before humans do. The lesson- be firmly rooted to your roots and you shall not only survive you will prosper. No doubt Dean Jain does not have an accent.

ISB- Term2 and the learning

2007-07-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

The second term at ISB was quite an experience- fast and furious. The learning from the term was immense- the Markstrat game, Prof. Jagmohan Raju's classes and Prof. Harbir Singh's classes. The class of these professors from Wharton stood out in the way they handled class participation- It was like a master swordsman jibing and then stepping back all in one flowing single masterful step. And, I loved Prof. Raju's statement- "Life and marketing are like a game of bridge one aspect is the hand that you are dealt and the other, the way you play the hand that you have been dealt".

Another professor who left a mark was Prof. Krishna Kumar who taught us Macro Economics. The screening of "Commanding Heights" in professor's class was a huge learning. The way the prof. handled a complex subject like economics was a treat.

The icing on the cake was Dean Deepak Jain's (Dean- Kellog School of Business) visit to ISB. As a member of the marketing club I had the good fortune of interacting with Dean Jain personally. That was an experience that deserves a separate post.

As far as the term end exams go I am still in shock- Whaaat Happened!!!!!

The photograph- The marketing club core team with Dean Jain. Me- on the extreme right.

ISB and class participation

2007-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

CLASS PARTICIPATION

The concept of class participation is central to the study methodology at many B-Schools world over. Class participation ensures that students come prepared to the class with questions, answers, opinions and arguments. But, there are three players that decide what you take away from a class that depends on such a methodology- your preparation, others in the class and last but the most critical - The Professor. Class participation as a methodology is more a test of the Professor I feel. The professor needs to balance between control and participation from the class so that there is coherence and learning at the same time.

From a student's perspective, class participation needs arms of steel, reaction that could make Roger Federer blush and a booming voice that roars for attention. Reminds me of Mohammed Ali's statement- Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee. And, if you can do that you my friend have a talent and an 8 on 8 in class participation.

OCCAM'S RAZOR

2007-06-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

The one thing that one realises while going through ream upon ream of case material is that the solution to all great problems in life/work have a beautiful simple solution. The simpicity with which Alexander cut through the Gordian knot is case to the point.

And, it was with the same surgical beauty that Ziev Katlan taught us Monte Carlo simulation on crystal ball (In that liquor case crystal boll!!!). The passion for the subject and the involvement of the professor comes accross when you look at him explainining a small point for over two hours and I sat there in stunned attention listening and seeing the dramatic instruction style. And, his response to the silence to his question in the class-DONT LOOOK At MEE, LOOOK At THEE BOARRD!!! The answer is there.

An overly complicated reply to a question, elicited a passionate NOOOOOOOOO! from Ziev and then came the advice that I take away from the course- Keeep it siimple!!

And, it is in this advice I found resonance to what Waterman taught us in the Multiple Regression class- OCCAM'S RAZOR. Keep it Simple!!!!

IN THE ISB NOW !!!

2007-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

It is exactly a week since the batch of 2008 landed at the sprawling campus at the ISB. The week has passed by in a flash. The week has been dedicated to orienting the class of 2008 to the nuances of the ISB way. The role played by the class of 2007 during the ISB orientation week was stellar. A series of team building exercises, section gyan sessions, case study, sports, club presentations, ISB radio competition and the talent nite were all seamlessly arranged in a period of a week. The tremendous bonhomie of the class of 2007 is something that should be emulated by the class of 2008.

The quality of the facilities at the ISB are brilliant. The squash courts have a glass wall and paraquet flooring, there is a well equipped gym and a beautiful swimming pool. There are many more avenues for people who prefer other sports. But, for me the above three are what matter. Also, our team entry came second in the ISB radio competition. Radio is definitely good fun.

The extraordinary achievements of my classmates makes me proud to be a member of the class of 2008. They say that there are three things that matter in a MBA institute- the faculty pool, the peer group and the alumni. And, ISB is brilliant on all these three parameters. If we throw in the brilliant facilities at the ISB- ISB is MBA heaven.

I AM LOVING IT!!!!

GMAT STRATEGY

2007-03-30T03:07:00.000-07:00

My score
QUANTITATIVE SCALED SCORE-47
VERBAL SCALED SCORE-42
TOTAL SCALED SCORE-720- 96 PERCENTILE

My Strategy:
Took the diagnostic test from the Original Guide-11th edition and zeroed in on topics that I was reasonably comfortable with. Percentages, Ratio and proportion, indices, numbersand Geometry. Luckily these are the critical chapters for the GMAT. After the initial diagnosis I realised that I did some unforced errors - errors made not because I could not understand the question buterrors made because I rushed the solution and in the bargain did errors like multiplying instead of adding. Initially, I focussed on eliminating these unforced errors while taking tests. Also, aimed at understanding chapters mentioned above in greater detail by solving greater number of questions and also questions with greater complexity from these chapters.I used OG-11, Kaplan premier course and aregular mathematics book. My preparation for CAT(Common Admission Test) came real handy. Another useful preparatory material source was the quant material from T.I.M.E, a coching institute in India that prepares students for CAT.

The next step was to focus on chapters like probability, permutations and combinations, absolute value and co-ordinate geometry. I knew that if were to get a tough question from these chapters there was a bright chance that i would get the answer wrong - whatever the level of preparation. So rather than making these chapters the focus of my preparation I aimed at geetting a decent level of proficiency in these chapters.I did get around6-7 questions from these chapters in the actual GMAT and I am quite sure that I got 5 of them right. Lesson- donot leave any chapter totally out of your preparation.

The decision to be taken for quant is which chapters are essential rather critical for thr GMAT and hence require greater focus and which chapters can be prepared at a more basic level. For example in co-ordinate geometry if you know how to calculate the slope of the lne, the meaning of positive and negative slope and the equation of the line, you are quite OK to handle most of the basic problems of this Chapter at the actual GMAT.

DATA SUFFICIENCY my fundas in the next post.

ISB CLASS OF 2008 ADMITTED

2007-02-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

It has happened . The great moment in life. The moment of truth. The feeling of reding the sms on Friday, 9 Feb 2007 will remain with me forever. A sense of dejavu- the kind of feeling I had when I had got a confirmation from SCMHRD, 12 years ago. Great! feeling after the shell shocked state I have been since Friday. Meeting the round one and round two admits from Hyderabad at Cafe Cofee Day was a very plesant experience. I was totally impressed by the Hyd gang- Absolutely electrifying. The coming year promises to be an eventful one,plesantly eventfull I hope & Pray. Cannot help but thank God Almighty for the way things are. Details of the interview and application process in the future posts.
Chao!

chuck-de-phatte

2007-01-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Dhoom2: CRAZY KIYA RE

Man! these guys have kicked it.
Going for a drug deal with a gangster waiting in the middle of a lake, short cut; use a super- bike to jump onto the waiting boat.
Boss! if I were a gangster I would shoot the bike out of the whillee before it lands. But, our friend Uday Chopra has to have a dhoom entry.

And, ofcourse Mr. Abhishek Bacchan is the genius who uses a water scooter like a submarine. And, like all submarines this one flies in the air too!!!!
Then the genius' after burner really takes off, cracks A's(Hrithik Roshan) modus-operendi and knows where and when A will strike again. Now, Mr. A is trying to make a massive A that can be traced by joining the cities where he has struck or plans to strike. Bombay happens to be on the horizontal line of the A. Me ask, how did they manage to fit Rio-de-jeniro on the A. Man Aditya Chpora has been reading - The life of the Incas too seriously. Crazy Kiya Re...

chuck-de-phatte

2006-12-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

ISB application submitted

The application is in and the status shows all received. Now, the wait is getting quite excrutiating. The experiences of the round 1 interviewees is freaking me out. Trying to keep cool.
But, that my friends is quite a task.

AWA score for GMAT & the official score

2006-11-16T00:41:00.000-08:00

It's official-720 it is. Thankfully the "un and the of" tally.
The AWA score is 5 and am quite happy with it. That gives me some measure of my essay writing skills. Atleast they are better than average.

The application process is on. I have completed 3 essays and the fourth should be in today.

Waiting for two recommendation letters to come in. The cut-off is Monday.

chuck-de-phatte

2006-11-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

GMAT AND BEYOND

Took the GMAT on the 6th of Nov and got a score of 720. Absolutely pleased. Not bad, especially considering that got back to studying after eight long years.

GMAT as an exam is quite an accurate measure of verbal and quantitative skills. The consistency with which the test scores the test taker, is what impresses me the most about the GMAT. On the GMAT prep tests I scored 720 in all four of the tests and that was exactly my score on the GMAT. So consistent it definitely is.

The debut! what's in the name

2006-11-07T12:56:00.001-08:00

Hi! cyberspace
This is my first entry in my blog. Let me start with the name of my blog.
It has two meanings the generic meaning of chuck-de-phatte in punjabi is - Just MAX it. That is ofcourse one of the intents of my blog. The second meaning of the phrase is chuck's(my nickname) phatte (stories).

The debut!

2006-11-07T12:56:00.000-08:00